Description

Kalyn's Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms ♥

May 23, 2007

Fresh spring asparagus and fresh mushrooms are a magical combinations, especially when their natural earthiness is accentuated by roasting, seasoned with no more than a little salt and pepper. Delicious.

2007: Fans of the South Beach diet (which of course starts out as a diet for losing weight, then evolves into a healthful way to eat while maintain the new weight, much the same as Weight Watchers) either already do or should know about the great food blog Kalyn's Kitchen which is packed with weight loss tips, low-carb product recommendations and of course, South Beach recipes.

Kalyn regularly features vegetables so I am often inspired by her site. Still, isn't it funny that the two recipes I've felt most drawn to both feature mushrooms? Roasted Carrots and Mushrooms with Thyme was soooo good and so is Kalyn's roasted asparagus and mushrooms! This is a total keeper!
SO WHY CAN'T WE WASH FRESH MUSHROOMS?
For awhile now, I've been washing fresh mushrooms. (I know, I know, you're supposed to just 'wipe' them. But grit, my friends, is not good!) The other day a 30-minute-famous food personality claimed on TV that washed mushrooms will turn 'brown and tough'. She might be right, if the mushrooms will remain uncooked. But for cooked mushrooms? Baloney!

2007 SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON, WASHED MUSHROOMS vs "WIPED" MUSHROOMS
To prove the point (to myself, anyway), tonight I washed half the mushrooms and wiped the other half, then kept them separate while roasting. Now to be fair, before 'wiping', the mushrooms didn't start off all that gritty. But after roasting, the 'washed' mushrooms didn't turn out tough or brown (well, except that they were baby portobellas and so already brown). There was no telling the difference.

BREAK, DON'T SLICE, FRESH MUSHROOMS
Another mushroom tip: break them into pieces, versus cutting them. I haven't tested side by side yet -- but someday, I will! -- but I believe that the rough uneven pieces shrink less and seem a whole lot less like the bits of mushroom you find in canned mushroom soup.

FAT SPEARS OF ASPARAGUS
Another kitchen myth is that thin spears of asparagus are best. And they are -- if you're steaming them. But the very best asparagus for roasting are the fat spears -- look how big these guys were, I've never had sweeter asparagus, ever.

2011: When I remake a recipe from A Veggie Venture, I'm always so pleased when the results matches my memory. Asparagus and mushrooms are a magical pairing, especially roasted but I'm a huge fan of this Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding from Kitchen Parade which also combines the two.

Prep the mushrooms and asparagus, let rest on a double layer of paper towels to remove moisture while finishing the prep. (This is so the oil/spices will better adhere.) Toss all the ingredients and arrange evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, til beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

13
comments:

Thanks for featuring my recipe. Spike is one of those ingredients I sometimes forget about and then "re-discover" again! It's so good on veggies. Now I'm wondering if you just got the same new cookbook I just bought at Costco with the talk about washing mushrooms? If so, proof that we're still channeling each other!

This is the second time I've seen this about breaking the mushrooms instead of cutting them. Now I really need to remember this when I'm fixing mushrooms tomorrow!You are so very right about the skinny and fat asparagus!!

A couple of cooking "rules" really bug me: 1) washing mushrooms - as you've proved, it's not a problem; 2) peeling beets - I don't get this one - just scrub 'em and peel off the excessively rough parts; 3) peeling carrots - hello - what's to peel? Again, a good scrub is all a carrot needs - it's not like a grapefruit or something.

Kalyn ~ You're so welcome. I know you love that Spike! And (apparently) I love all of Kalyn's recipes with mushrooms! :-)

Charlotte ~ Oh that Freddie is getting to be such a vegetable fiend. Thanks for sharing the news: I do love your big adventure.

Mz Pat ~ How easy is that?!

Nabeela ~ Oh I'm known for busting up foodie and food myths, for sure.

Tanna ~ Maybe you saw it here before? I first used the technique in the World's Best Green Bean Casserole last fall, just because the recipe specified it, but wondered why. The next time I sliced the mushrooms with a knife and couldn't believe the difference! Now I always break the mushrooms into pieces, they're just less like 'mushroom soup bits' that way. Try it and report back!

Lisa ~ Ah yes, we're of like mind. You do have to be careful how hard you scrub beets, however. If you scrub them too hard, you'll actually abrade the color/flavor/juices will actually ooze out of the abrasion. And carrots, yes, though I do sometime peel carrots if the outer layer seems tough. I'll remember to mention it the next time I try a new carrot recipe.

Thanks for debunking the myth about washing mushrooms, Alanna. I'm a fanatical vegetable washer and it's always bothered me that I don't wash mushrooms. We always cook them so I'm going to start washing them too. And really, you think breaking them will make them shrink less?

To choose asparagus, I look at the tips. If they are nice and closed rather than ragged and open, I buy them (as long as it's local asparagus). For what part to eat, I hold the tip and the end and bend it until it breaks. The part near the end is either composted or used to make stock for asparagus soup. And the tip end is perfect.

-Elizabeth

P.S. Ontario asparagus is just starting to turn up at the vegetable market. I'll keep Kalyn's mushrooms and asparagus recipe in mind.

randi
on
May 27, 2007

this was so easy and yummy! thank you so much, i made this last night for a dinner party and my guests loved the simplicity and freshness of the veggies. i have to thank you for your recipes, i'm a new cook and your recipes are so easy to follow and your tips are wonderful. thanks! i always look forward to my emails to read about your next food adventure : )

Elizabeth ~ I don't just 'think' so, I've proven so, doing it both ways. It's not so much shrinkage as the irregular edges that make 'broken' mushrooms seem more real than the sliced ones.

Randi ~ Oh first successes are so important for new cooks, I'm so glad this was a hit. And I must tell you, you make me blush but you completely made my day, thanks for taking the time to say such nice things.

Thanks for the great recipe. I'm going to go try and bake some right now!

Anonymous
on
April 10, 2008

Just made these last night and WOW were they good! I have happily added it to my trusty stack of delicious sides! THANK YOU!!Jessica

Julie
on
May 22, 2011

Alanna, Thanks for washing your mushrooms. I've been doing it for years and cannot tell the difference form wiping them with a cloth. I do know they're clean. But most importantly, I tried breaking them up with my hands instead of slicing. What a great tip. They are better that way and soooooo much easier to handle. I used them in my spaghetti last night and in my omelet this morning. Yippeeee! Less work and better quality. Thanks.

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna

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